Dana Krebs – Rochester, NY

Anyways…I was out hunting and my 10-year old daughter who loves to come with me. She wants to hunt when she is older, but for now is content to sit next to me and watch.

Last year I managed to shoot a 5 — point buck with her sitting next to me. She was so excited and the deer dropped only about 75 yards away.

I gutted the deer and she helped me to drag it out of the woods and carry my gear as I was seating quite a bit. She couldn’t wait for me to cut some of meat up so she could have her venison meal.

This year I took her with me again and the first time out again we see 2 does and I was able to shoot one again with her next to me. I wasn’t sure if I had hit it but she said I saw the arrow stick in and blood come out, so we waited about 15 minutes and started tracking and found this deer about 50 yards away. Again she helped me to clean the deer and drag it home. She is an amazing little girl and god has certainly blessed our time in the woods together. She also has been equally helpful in tracking and processing the deer.

Now for the meat of the story (no pun intended). I was out the other morning by myself and on the ground behind a fallen down tree with the stump shielding me partially. Well I look up around 7AM and here comes a big buck. All I could see was antlers and they were wide and many. He was at least a 10-point if not a 12-point with a wide beam. My heart starts to skip and I pull the bow back and wait for the deer to reach the open area I have drawn on. There are 2 areas I can shoot into. The first one is not a clear as the second but I chose the first as the deer was so close I know that if he looked up and saw me that I would not get a shot off. Well I let the arrow fly as soon as he reaches my self-appointed window of opportunity. I watched the arrow fly and just kind of flick up and over his back. I couldn’t believe it. I had missed. The arrow nicked a branch I had not seen and it flew right over his back. I was only about 8 yards away on the ground and could only watch in disappointment as he bounds away and continues on his way. It is funny how big this deer gets the more I go over it in my mind. I got home and woke up my children and told them and just blessed God that I was able to be so close to such a graceful animal.

The next week I went out and shot a Spike horn with my bow and have attached the picture. Not the big buck I want and the season is not over yet, but I was in the same spot as I had been when the big buck had come through. So while this story is kind of sad in the fact that I missed the buck of my life, I have been blessed with a wonderful daughter who loves to hunt and with the ability to put meat inour freezer.

Here’ hoping the Lord blesses me with a big buck this year.

Thanks for taking the time to read my brief story.

Blessings,

Dana